Double-acting valve for beer-vats.



PATBNTED 11111.21, 1903. v1. H. SGHMAHL E A. ZIMMERMANN.

DOUBLE ACTING VALVE FOR BEER VAT-S.

APPLIoATI-ON FILED MAR. 21. 1902.

No MODEL.

z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l PATENTED APR.. 21, 1903. J. H. SGHMAHL & A. ZIMMERMANN.

DOUBLE ACTING VALVE EUR BEER VATAS.

i APPLICATION FILED MAB. 21, 1902.

- No MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED *STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. SCHMAHL AND ADOLPH ZIMMERMANN, OFBUFFALO, NEW YORK.

DOUBLE-ACTING VALVE FOR B-EER-VATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,782, dated April 21, 1903.

i Application iile'd March 2l, 1902. Serial No. 99,273. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN H. SCHMAHL and ADOLPH ZIMMERMANN, citizens of the United States, and residents of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Double-Acting Valves; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Our invention has for its object to provide a simple, eective, andcheaply-constructed double-acting valve particularly designed for use on beer-vate in which beer is stored and the generated gases discharged through said valve when they exceed a certain pressure. It is also designed to permit air to be drawn into the vat when the beer is drawn from the lower end thereof; and it consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a storage-vat for beer having our improved double-acting valve secured thereto. Fig. 2 is a central' vertical section through the valve taken as a whole. Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line man, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a horiiontal section taken Online z c', Fig. 2, looking up. Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of the guide-yoke in which the stem of the valve is guided.

Referring to thedrawings in detail, like numerals of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

The numeral 1 designates a storage-vat in which beer is stored to age, and it is provided in its head with'a bung-hole 2, in which it is customary to loosely it a bung, which will be driven out of its seat when gas is generated in the vat; but as this is not onlyuncertain as to the pressure required to drive the bung from its seat, but also uncertain as to the time when the gases are generated to a pressure which is 'sufficient to do so, it is very nnsatisfactory and requires continual attention, since it is essential that the bung-hole .be closed at all timesV to prevent the foul air from coming in contact with the beer, and more particularly to prevent the germ-infected drippings of the ice covered pipes .means of which it is secured to the vat.

from entering the vat and carrying dirt and other foreign matter with it. The vat is also provided with an outlet 3 near its lower end, from which the beer is drawn or through which, if desired, 'the vat may be filled under pressure.

To overcome the objections above stated, we provide the double-acting valve 4, considered as a whole, which we secure to the vat to cooperate with the bung-hole 2 ot' the same'. This valve consists of a casing 5, preferably cylindrical in form and open at both ends, and it has a flange 6 at its lower end, by A rubber gasket 7 or other suitable packing is interposed between said flange and the Vat to prevent the escape of gas from the latter, it being essential that a certain amount of carbonio-acid gas be retained in the vat-say, for instance, one-half pound per cubic inch. Screws 8 pass through the flange 6 and gasket 7 and enter the head of the vat to firmly secure and pack the casing at this point. If desired, the casing may be provided with an externalv thread at its lower end, which may be screwed directly into the head of the vat, and thus the gasket 7 may be dispensed with.

In the upper edge of the casing a groove 9 is formed, and therein an annular gasket 10 is fitted. The groove is preferably semicircular in section, and the gasket circular, so as to extend above the edge of the casing.

A cover 11, which is concave-convex and circular in form and somewhat larger in diameter than the casing, is hinged to the latter by a pivot-pin 12, passing through ears 13 and 14, formed on the cover and casing, respectively. This cover acts as lthe outwardly-moving valve and Vis normally held against the annular gasket 10; but when the gases in the vat exceed a certain pressuresay, for instance, one-half pound per cubic inch--it is swung open and allows the excess pressure to escape. The cover or outwardlymoving valve has a central aperture 15, and on its inner side it has an annular fiange 16, bounding said aperture. A centrally-bored boss or hub 17 is positioned centrally in said aperture and connected to the main portion of the cover by radial arms 18. Said boss projects above the convex surface of the cover and is externally threaded to receive a correspondingly-threaded hood or shield 19, which is preferably bell-shaped and larger than the aperture in the cover 11 which it is designed to cover. An air-passage 19L is formed between the lower end of the hood and the outwardly-opening valve, and this passage permits the escape of gases and admits air therethrough. It also prevents drippings, dirt, or other foreign matter from en` tering the vat through the aperture in the outwardly-opening valve. As the drippings from the ceiling strike the hood or shield the Water is shed onto the cover and from the cover directed over the projecting edge thereof to the top of the vat. The annular flange 16 is provided with a groove 20, in which a rubber gasket 2l is held, and this liange, with the gasket, acts asavalve-seat, against which a disk valve 22 is seated.

The numeral 23 designates a guide-yoke having at its upper end an internally-threaded annulus 24, designed for connection with the Flange 16 of the cover 1l, which is externally and correspondingly threaded. The guide-yoke is thus firmly held in proper position with relation to the valve 22, which latter has a valve-stem projecting from opposite sides, and which stem is guided in the centrally-bored hub 17 of the cover l1 and in the lower end of the guide-yoke 23. A spiral spring 25 surrounds the stem below the disk valve and bears with one end against the under side of the latter and with its other end against the guide-yoke, thus serving to keep the valve seated under normal conditions. It is thus seen that the inwardlyopening valve is carried by the outwardlyopening valve, and it is actuated when beer is being drawn from the vat, which allows air to enter the same and prevents the foriniug of a vacuum, which is also detrimental to the proper treatment' of beer.

It is obvious that this invention is as readily applicable to any other vats or tanks in which such a device is desirable and that it is susceptible to minor details of construction without departing from the essence of our invention.

.Having thus described our invention, what We claim isl. The combination of an outwardly-opening valve having an aperture therein, an inwardly-opening valve designed to close said aperture, and a shield secured to said outwardly-opening valve, said shield being poing valve having an aperture and a hub l0- 6o cated in the center of said aperture and connected to the main portion of the valve by arms, a shield secured to said hub and designed to prevent the entrance of foreign matter through said aperture, and an inwardly opening valve carried by said outwardly-opening valve and designed to close said aperture, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of an outwardly-opening valve having an aperture therein and an 7o annular externally-threaded flange on itsinner side, a guide-yoke having an internallythreaded annulus at its upper end designed for connection with said flange,.an inwardlyopening valve seated against said flange and having a stem guided in said guide-yoke, and a spiral spring surrounding said stem and bearing with one end against said valve and with its other end against said guide-yoke,

and serving to keep the said inWardly-open- 8o ing valve normally against its seat, substantially as set forth.

4.. The combination with the casing, of a cover hinged thereto and serving as an out- Wardly-opening valve, said cover having an aperture and a centrally-bored hub located in the center ot' said aperture and connected to the main portion of the cover by radial arms, and having also an externally-threaded annular ange on its under side bounding 9o said aperture, of a guide-yoke having an internally-threaded annulus at its upper end adapted for connection with said annular ange, and an inwardly-opening disk valve having a stem projecting from opposite sides which is guided in the centrally-bored hub of the cover and in the guide-yo ke, and a spiral spring surrounding said stem and being interposed between the valve and the guide-yoke,

said spring serving to keep the said valve roo against the said annular flange, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN H. SCHMAHL. ADOLPH ZIMMERMANN. Witnesses:

CHAs. F. BURKHART, R. P. CHAMBERLAIN. 

